Jumia Suspends Operation for 24 Hours to Mourn Victims of #EndSARS Protests

Africa’s eCommerce giant, Jumia, has suspended its operations in Nigeria for 24 hours to mourn victims of the #EndSARS protests, which took a sharp turn on Tuesday night, Oct. 20, at Lekki toll gate in Lagos, Nigeria.

On Tuesday, a group of heavily armed men dressed in the Nigerian Army uniform had opened fire on unarmed anti-police brutality protesters at the Lekki toll plaza as they sat on the floor and sang the national anthem and waved the country’s flag.

ALSO READ: #EndSARS: Investors Lose N113 billion as Protests Turn Bloody

Although reports of casualty are conflicting, multiple sources, backed by video and photo evidence, suggests that many were killed and dozens sustained varied degree of injuries.

According to a message on Jumia’s website, which is currently inactive, the suspension of operations will be from midnight on October 22 and end by 8 am on October 23.

“We ask all our customers, sellers, partners and stakeholders to join us as we use this medium to express our sorrow. We will resume our operations at the end of the curfew and continue serving our customers and sellers,” the statement on the company’s website reads in part.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos had declared a 72-hour curfew in the state when the #EndSARS protests ballooned into a riot as hoodlums leveraged the movement to perpetrate evil. And the Lekki shooting aggravated the situation. The angry and opportunistic youths began to set ablaze public properties and looting private businesses.